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ways slicing action, cutting only halfway across the section. Here's a typical procedure for shaving a 1 "h.-in. diameter Pieces that do not fit under the shaving-horse head can be held between the end of the roughsawn breast bib. Note horse, in a notch or rabbet, and a cuts do not start on the end grain; the waste at the far end of the stick wzll be removed after the stick is turned end for end. the bevel side. He turns the knife and lightly whets across the bevel. The final wire edge on the flat side should be gently removed with a soft Arkansas stone. The bevel can be dressed very lightly once again with this last stone. Throughout the procedure he's sure to maintain a flat bevel at the proper angle. Whetting a microbevel is faster but necessitates frequent regrinding or coarse-dressing. Sundqvist also emphasizes keeping the flat side perfectly flat. Drawknives are relatively easy and safe tools to use. It's almost impossible to pull the blade into your belly, though I have seen torn pants and cut legs. Skill is a matter of practice; tuning up with this freehand tool takes time. I generally work with the bevel down. The bevel acts as a slide and fulcrum for directing the angle and depth of cut. Some woodworkers use the drawknife bevel up. Drawknives with a slight bevel on the "flat" side will work in either position. The particular job and tool used should dictate the method. Practice different cuts, from shallow plane-like shavings to rougher work, shaving to "h. in. Then try curves, concave dips and other shapes. Drawknife technique is a combination of strength with the careful control necessary for doing accurate work. With practice it's possible to shape elaborate curves, using a narrow blade and pulling slowly, but with maximum muscular exertion and control-like an isometric exercise. Drawknives work best with straight-grained woods, es- pecially softwoods and ring-porous hardwoods. It's possible to shave dense woods like beech or dogwood, but convoluted figure requires working back and forth from each direction. This is where quick setups with a shaving horse really pay off. Wild grain may work better with an adjustable spokeshave. A fast technique for roughing straight-grained wood to approximate size is to start a very deep shaving, then raise the handles to split off the waste wood. To drawknife very thin strips, such as basket splits and bucket hoops, place the work on a l-x2 extension stick held under the shaving-horse head. It's even possible to dress across the end grain of softwoods. Dampen the end grain a few minutes before starting. Use a keen drawknife. Work bevel up, from a low area to a high point. Pull the knife diagonally across the grain with a side- 94 chair leg from a split piece of wood roughly 2 in. square. If possible use straight and clear-grained green oak. Grip the stick on the shaving horse with the growth rings oriented vertically; radial surfaces are easier to cut than tangential ones. The first cuts will take the stick down to 1"h. in. square. Start by tilting the drawknife slightly down on the right and take a shaving off the upper right corner of the stick, so the vertical side of the stick becomes 1 "h. in. high. Next tilt the drawknife slightly down on the left and do the same. These two cuts will leave a slight apex on the top surface. With the drawknife level, shave this off. Now rotate the stick 90°, and tilting the drawknife first left, then right, take the two shavings that will bring the other two sides of the stick down to 1112 in. Hold the drawknife level and remove the apex on the top surface. The stick is now 1 "h. in. square for the half of its length close to you. Turn the stick end for end and repeat the procedure to make the whole stick 1 "h. in. square. The next step is to shave the square into an octagon. Tilt the drawknife 45° to the right, then 45° to the left, to shave the corners off the square. Try to make the three planes this produces equal in width. Rotate the stick 1800 and chamfer the other two corners of the square. When all eight planes are the same size, you should have a regular octagon 1"h. in. across. Turn the stick end for end and repeat the procedures to make the whole stick octagonal. Now to produce a perfectly round chair leg, it's simply a matter of taking thin shavings off the corners of the octagon, rotating it between strokes and checking it occasionally with a go/ no-go gauge. It can be finished up with a spokeshave. Alternately shaving and repositioning the stick proves the value of the shaving horse; the hands can concentrate on the work while the feet quickly hold and release it. The dumbhead horse is particularly advantageous because the work can be slipped out the side to turn end for end, instead of drawing out its whole length from under the head, as is necessary with the English-style horse. Slipping can be a problem with very green wood and hard- to-hold shapes. Check the shaving-horse head for height and jaw-angle adjustment. If slipping continues, place a small block with coarse sandpaper glued to both faces between the work and jaw of the shaving horse. Woodland craftsmen who continually shaved slick wood sometimes inserted a strip of serrated metal into the upper jaw. I've used a small rasp. Sometimes it's necessary to drawknife a piece of wood that won't fit into the shaving-horse jaws. Or you may want to shape a flare or curve going into the grain at the end of the wood. A method developed before screw vises uses chest pressure to hold the piece against a rabbet or in a notch cut in the end of the shaving-horse work ledge. A breast bib (a small plank hung by a string around one's neck) distributes pressure and protects against accidents. Breast bibs are made from roughsawn wood; a planed surface will slip against the work. For drawknifing large work use a conventional wood vise or a peg and wedge-holding system. A machinist's vise with wooden jaw-inserts is excellent for drawknifing irregular shapes or small work. The narrow jaws located above the workbench allow draw knifing at a variety of angles. 0 Drew Langsner is director/instructor at Country Workshops, a school for traditional woodworking in Marshall, N. C.